ASDT MTB Clinics

2019 Schedule Coming Soon!!

Mountain biking is so many different skills and techniques that are all used together, but learning one skill at a time a rider can better grasp the individual skills which will make it easier to combine them in the end. Most women’s mountain bike clinics are a couple days of ALL the skills in the mini clinics. This can be overwhelming to a new rider and it is hard to process so much information so quickly. By concentrating on one skill at a time at the clinic a student can learn quicker and easier. The retention of the skill is also increased as there is more time to focus on one specific skill.

If you are a beginner and want to start at the beginning of this MTB clinic series, that is great! If you want to pick and choose which ones that is also an option for you. Mini clinics will allow the rider to work on one skill at a time so that the specific skill is easier to learn. More time is focused on one technique so that the specific technique will be simpler to learn.

Expect these to be about 1.5-2 hours, the beginning 30 minutes will be discussing the skill/technique. The remainder of the time will be a group ride that works on this specific technique to build this new skill. The mini clinics will start in the end of March and go through September on Thursday evenings. The clinics will be all over the Wasatch from Ogden, Salt Lake and Park City areas. A total of 11 clinics are listed below with each clinic having 15 participants.

Calendar of 2018 Clinics

Tickets will be on sale the first of each month for the specific clinics.

March

3/22 Vision – This is the most important skill on a mountain bike. This clinic will cover how to read the trail and improve overall preparation for riding. The clinic will also cover vision planning on the trail – allows you to physically prepare for the next maneuver, also to correct the bad habit of staring at the front wheel. Part of this clinic will also cover visualization of mountain biking. What you believe you can do will happen! Vision is the key! (East Mountain Wilderness Park) (Beginner level)

April

4/5 Body Position – This clinic will cover proper body position. Understanding how to distribute weight on the bike for descending and ascending is very important. We will also cover weighting the pedals and getting comfortable moving the bike around on the trail beneath you. Proper body position is not intuitive and this clinic will cover everything you need to know to help you improve your bike handling skills using body position. (Beginner level) (East Mountain Wilderness Park)

4/26 Braking – Learning how to use your brakes correctly is super important, this will help you not only control your ride, but also make you faster. Your front brake is your friend, it has 70% of the stopping power and the control when decelerating. Know how to use your brakes correctly will make Mountain Biking a much better experience and help you increase your speed and get over obstacles. (Beginner to intermediate) East Mountain Wilderness Park

May

5/17 Pumping – Riding a pump track really hones the body position skill! Learning to pump takes a lot of practice so it is a perfect mini clinic. Pumping the bike teaches the rider how to move the bike with the terrain and begins the “bike dance”. This is not necessarily an easy one to learn, but it is a key skill on the bike. The clinic will be at a pump track so the rider can really learn how to accelerate your bike without EVER pedaling. It is a lot of fun and a great workout! Trailside Bike Park (Beginner to Intermediate)

5/31 Manuals – A manual clinic is all about getting the front wheel up using the “Manual” technique. This skill is important when you are going fast descending and you are in a pinch and need to lift the front wheel. The manual has helped me many times keep my rubber side down and move onto the next feature on the trail. This is a fun and key skill to learn on the bike! East Mountain Wilderness Park (Beginner to Intermediate)

June

6/14 Quarter Punch/Wheelies– The quarter punch is a fun name for what your feet are doing on the pedals to lift the front wheel. The “quarter punch” is the BEST way to start a wheelie! It is also key when climbing up technical terrain. The quarter punch makes it a lot easier to get up the stair steps and big rocks on those techy Moab trails. This clinic will have every gal doing wheelies by the end!

6/28 Cornering – Cornering is by far the hardest skill on a mountain bike. It is also one of the funnest to do. The cornering clinic will cover all the ins and outs of how to corner. We will break down how to corner from the simplest body position and build on it. It all starts with a straight line drill, some more drills and soon you will have that bike leaned over like a Pro! – Trailside Park (Beginner to Intermediate)

July

7/19 Switchbacks– Switchbacks can be frustrating, learning how to do them correctly makes life so much easier! Switchbacks are not the same technique as cornering so dedicating an entire clinic to it felt like the right thing to do. Those pesky tight switch backs will soon be a thing of the past. East Mountain Wilderness Park (Beginner to Intermediate)

August

8/2 Steep Descents -Sometimes it’s really hard to get your brain to push that Override button and go for it on what seems to be too steep to conquer. Because this is one so many people struggle with, I decided to dedicate an entire Mini Clinic to it. Body position, vision, and braking skills are all key to successful steep descents. I love the steeps and hope anyone who attends the clinic will too afterwards! Canyons – pedal up (Intermediate to Advanced, no beginners)

8/23 Jumps – One of my absolute favorite things to do on my bike is play in the air. Jumping is a blast and best learned on tabletops with no risk! Learning to get comfortable in the air along with specific body position skills makes jumping a lot of fun. Always keep it safe and start small and work your way up. Trailside (really good beginner jumps to advanced) (Participants can keep their wheels on the ground if they want to)

September

9/13 Drops – Dropping on a bike is probably the easiest maneuver to master, but seems to have lots of intimidation factor. Learn how to conquer these so you can be hopping off drops in no time with a big smile on your face and get past the intimidation of them. Trailside (Intermediate to Advanced) (NO beginners on this one, it requires air time)

ASDT Wasatch MTB Director & Coach

I started mountain biking in 1995 in the glorious California coastal region of San Luis Obispo, where they have some of the best riding on earth. I started racing cross country in 1999 for Cal Poly Wheelmen. I enjoyed the hard work and satisfaction of cross country riding for many years. The fun of riding up the hill was knowing that the sweetest singletrack was waiting at the top.

After a while my bike handling skills improved and the descents became a roller coaster ride. Instead of fear I was inspired by challenging terrain. The adrenaline just took over. I gained self confidence knowing there was a gnarly trail out there that I could conquer. The self confidence I gained transfered to my every day life. The confidence helped my realize I could do what I put my mind to.

I started racing downhill in 2005 and have found that my calling. The techniques I learned riding cross country for so many years is what made me a solid downhill-er. I took a two year break from racing to have my son and get him through his first year. November 2007 I started racing again at the expert level. I moved up to PRO in the winter of 2009. Over the year I have developed many more skills to pass on. It all starts with the right foundation though.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What should I bring?

Your bike, Helmet, gloves, water (hydration pack), light jacket, sunscreen, and a smile! We are going to have fun!

How do I know what my riding level is?

Beginner has little to no mountain bike experience, the rider is not comfortable on blue level runs. Blues are steeper, require knowledge of braking, steering and bike handling. If you can’t pump, manual, brake without skidding, front wheel lift, corner quickly, ride technical terrain, the rider is classified as a beginner.

Intermediate is a wide range, but you are comfortable on terrain that you have to maneuver the bike, and able to get off the ground with the bike that is an intermediate. If you can get your front wheel up, pump, manual, brake effectively, get air and control the bike, then the rider is an intermediate.

Clinic focus is on learning bike handling skills.The skills build on one another, but a solid foundation of the basics is super important. By learning the basic skills one at time, a rider can really focus on one and take the time to learn one skill at a time. Once they start building on one another the skills will be easier to put together.

Is bike set up going to be reviewed?

Yes, for the first three clinics bike setup and fit will be reviewed.

What if I am not sure what level I am?

All the clinics except two are good for any level.Those two clinics the participants need to register for another clinic so that the coaches can verify the rider is ready for the advanced level.

Participation for everything is voluntary. Riders are NOT required to do anything that makes them uncomfortable or is above their skill level. If the coach feels the rider isn't experienced to be in the clinic she signed up for, the coach has the right for the safety of the rider, to send them home.

Should I bring tools?

If you have a multi-tool, spare tubes and tire irons yes please bring them. Coaches will have tools also.

Should I use flat pedals or clip ins?

Flat pedals preferred if you have them.

What is the refund policy if I can't attend?

You are able to receive a full refund if you cancel 7 days before the scheduled clinic. If you cancel within the 7 days prior to the clinic, you will only receive 50% of your clinic, No refund if you cancel 24hrs leading up to the clinic.